he accused his butler of stealing and leaking documents that pointed to corruption in the vatican. the pope pardoned him over christmas. it's rare for a pope to resign. pope benedict is the first to quit in nearly 600 years. senior members of the catholic church will now start planning their conclave, the meeting they hold to choose a successor. leaders around the world are reacting to the resignation. she had the highest respect for the pope's decision. >> translator: pope benedict xvi is and will continue to be one of the most important religious thinkers of the age. >> u.s. president barack obama extended thanks and prayers to the pope. obama said he appreciated their work together over the last four years and hoped a successor will be chosen smoothly. the president said he has warm memories of meeting the pontiff in 2009. it drew attention because of the men's differing views on abortion rights. obama told the pope he would do everything he could to reduce the number of a borgsz in the united states. shin pom praised the pope on issues such as poverty, hunger, human rights and